Hello,
I would be really grateful if anyone could advise me on issues relating to hormone disorders and autism in women. Are there useful hormone tests that autistic women might want to request?
I am a 34 y/o female who is currently waiting for their autism assessment (I was referred to the NHS services a year ago). I have always had acute anxiety/depression and emotional / mood-based disorders, so understanding myself as autistic has been really helpful and enlightening. In addition, I have had hypothyroidism since I was 13. I experience very severe mood swings, which is controlled (to some extent) by SSRIs. I also have PMDD - I often know my period is approaching because I will start to get suicidal ideation. Over the years, I have just got used to thinking of myself as the most dramatically hormonal person in the world.
I've been having long term trauma therapy with an autistic therapist, which has been helpful but I still frequently feel very out of control of - and undermined by - my body. I have been suffering from a lot of problems recently, which are both mental health problems, neurological problems. At the same time my thyroid function tests have been fluctuating - from being under medicated on one test, to being overmedicated on the next (without altering my dosage in-between). I have been experiencing a range symptoms that I think could be hormonal - very low self esteem, disassociation, feeling "flat" or disconnected, severe paranoia, thinking everyone hates me etc, short term memory loss, total loss of sex drive, loss of pleasure during orgasm.
I feel really unsupported by my GP practice - an admin error meant that I was overmedicated for months, leading to my daily panic attacks and huge weight loss, without realising it was due to the Levothyroxine i was taking rather than just my own brain. People frequently suggest I get other hormone tests -- so I just wondered if anyone had any experience of this and other useful hormone tests that could be done? Or whether this is just one of those mythical things people say...? I still haven't received any professional advice regarding the possible overlaps of autism and hormonal disorders or hypothyroidism and autism.
Any advice would be really welcome! I am still trying to learn more about autism. Thanks so much.